Wrapping materials for solid objects

ABSTRACT

Improved object wrapping materials exhibiting a number of beneficial properties to overcome prior deficiencies are provided. Such properties include the inclusion of a separation interface overlay that allows for greater rigidity at the leading and trailing edges of such wraps. Also, the inclusion of shear-reducing wrap material portions is described, as well as recoil reduction structures within the leading edge regions. Furthermore, core adhesive additions allow for greater resiliency to the base wrap material as it unwinds therefrom, reducing potential waste wrap products by permitting greater amounts of wrap materials in use. Other considerations include the ability, through proper configuration designs, to position a wrap separation indicator within a certain range of distances from the trailing edge, thereby providing greater reliability of wrap application device disengagement during wrap application. Such benefits are thus supplied individually and in tandem for improved versatility and utility of such wrap materials.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is filed under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as a divisionalapplication of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No.14/667,574, filed Mar. 24, 2015, the contents of which are incorporatedin their entirety herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein pertains to improved bale wrapping materialsexhibiting a number of beneficial properties to overcome priordeficiencies. Such properties include a separation interface overlaythat allows for greater rigidity at the formed leading and trailingedges of such wraps. Also, the inclusion of shear-reducing wrap materialportions is described, as well as recoil reduction structures within theformed leading edge regions. Furthermore, roll core adhesive additionsallow for greater resiliency to the base wrap material as it unwindstherefrom, reducing potential waste wrap products by permitting greateramounts of wrap materials in use. Other considerations include theability, through proper configuration designs, to position a wrapseparation label within a certain range of distances from the formedtrailing edge, thereby providing greater reliability of wrap dispensingduring use. Such benefits are thus supplied individually and in tandemfor improved versatility and utility of such wrap materials. Suchwrapping materials may be used in conjunction with any solid objectsthat are typically collected, transported, and/or stored in such amanner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Objects, including agricultural crops, fabrics, paper products, plasticproducts, basically any solid object, are typically provided in somemanner that requires, at some point in time, wrapping of individual ormultiple articles. Such wrapping, whether within a plastic or polymerfilm, a netting, a mesh, or any like segmented web of material, isapplied in such a fashion to facilitate collection, storage, transport,basically any type of protective activity for such objects. Whether itrelates to a plastic film surrounding a plurality of filled and sealedwater bottles, shrink-wrap films over boxes containing electronicequipment, packaging covering meat, vegetables, and the like, in asupermarket, even, as more fully described below, agricultural cropbales, wrapping materials have long been utilized for such valuablereasons.

As one example, agricultural crops are typically harvested and collectedinto bales to facilitate transport and ultimate introduction within aprocessing machine (for instance, cotton is baled for transport to agin). To do so, wrapping articles have been provided to accommodate suchnecessary activities, particularly to ensure such crops are kepttogether during transport, as well as to allow for proper measurement ofthe amount actually harvested and transported. In any event, suchwrapping articles have become a mainstay within the agriculturalindustry.

In the recent past, developments have been undertaken to improve certainmachinery for the actual harvesting of such crops (particularly, thoughnot limited to, cotton, as one example). Such machinery allows for thecontinuous harvesting and collecting of crops into bales that can thenbe wrapped with suitable materials within the machine itself. In thepast, baling would be undertaken and wrapping (or covering) would beaccomplished separately. These newer devices thus have permittedsimultaneous harvest and wrapping for greater efficiencies, at least.When transported to a processing location (again, for example, a cottongin), the wraps are then removed and the collected crops are allowed tofeed into the processing machinery. Such wraps are thus utilized forsimplification and streamlining of the overall procedure, again,particularly in tandem with such new harvesting machines in the field.

Such wraps as typically used today, however, exhibit a number ofdrawbacks that lead to undesirable issues. Notably, there are currentlyin use wrapping materials that include adhered-to portions that requiretotally separated lengths of polymer materials during manufacture. Suchmaterials, again, using cotton as one non-limiting example, have beendeveloped to comply with certain requirements associated with suchharvesting machines. For instance, in order to allow for effectivewrapping and release of such materials (to permit further wrapping ofsubsequent bales), and, in particular, to allow for such wrappingmaterials to cover the circumference of a cylindrical bale at least twoand preferably at least three times, the baling machine must include aclutch/brake mechanism to separate the wrap portion from its roll, andto permit feed of the trailing edge and separation from the subsequentleading edge. This step thus ultimately permits the wrapping materialsto unwind properly around the bale and then separate from the rollitself and adhere the trailing edge (separated from the roll) to therolled bale surface. This secures the wrapping material around thesubject bale, in other words, and allows access to a new leadingwrapping material edge to initiate rolling around a new bale within theharvesting machine.

These wrap structures, in use today, require the use of a folding of theweb of wrap material over an adhesive layer to accommodate theprotection of the adhesive layer, the braking and pulling of wrappingmaterial a certain distance for such trailing edge adherence, andprovision of a leading edge of a new wrap portion. This structure,though, as noted above, requires separate wrap portions from the outsetheld together solely by adhesives on the base roll. The manufacturinglimitations are evident as the separated components necessitate a greatdeal of complex activity and monitoring to ensure proper results. Theadhesive edges further may exhibit undesirable results during actualutilization in that preliminary contact between an adhesive edge with aportion of the baled structures, or even potential adhesion to thebaling machine itself, may result in problematic jamming of the machine(or other problems). Improvements to such a difficult-to-use structureare thus sought within this industry.

Certain changes have been proposed, including the production of acontinuous web of wrapping materials that including scoring or othertype of separation means between suitable lengths of wrapping materials.Adhesives may be utilized to accord proper attachment of trailing edgesof material subsequent to tearing from the base web, as well.

Unfortunately, it has been realized that such continuous web structuresmay still exhibit undesirable results that could affect the overallcapability and reliability of the utilization of such wrapping materialswith all-in-one harvesting machines. Most notably, perhaps, and as forthe deficiencies of the separate wrap material structures noted above,is the potential for leading edges of the wrap rolls to become engaged,adhered to, or otherwise entangled with the harvesting machine uponseparation of the trailing edge of a wrap. In this type of situation,basically, the leading edge exhibits a loose “flap” that is at the mercyof the environment within and around the baling machine. Fibrillation oreven recoil of the wrap material at the separated leading edge may occurthat can cause a number of problems. In essence, the typical wrapmaterial is limited to a substrate structure that is prone touncontrolled movement and/or recoil upon separation from the overall web(or, from adherence to the trailing edge). This structure thus may havenibs (if it is associated with a scored roll, for instance) that may bedrawn into the baler machinery, or, otherwise, may simply be drawn as anentire leading edge therein. As well, such leading edge nibs may exhibitweaker adhesive capability upon application to a bale, or, vice-versa,the trailing edge may not exhibit suitable adhesive properties to remainin appropriate contact with the wound wrap already present on a subjectbale. This could lead to undesirable unwrapping from around such a bale,among other things. Alternatively, with a recoil possibility, theleading edge portion may engage with the rubber dispenser rollers of theharvesting machine, leading to, as noted, undesirable results. In eithercase, if the wrapping material becomes entangled to such an extent withthe machinery, the remedy is far more involved than simply reaching inand manually removing the leading edge from the baling portions of theharvesting machine; to the contrary, such a machine must be shut downand removal then undertaken. In any event, such a potential problem issignificant and could easily compromise the efficiency aims of theutilization of such a wrapping material in conjunction with theharvesting machine.

Another notable problem with the standard baling wraps of today is thepotential for slippage or expansion when placed around a bale. Anydistortion due to uneven application or weakened regions around the baleitself could lead to the overall shape of the bale being compromised andfurther introduction within a specifically shaped transport and/orplacement within a processor thereafter may be complicated or evenprohibited, not to mention failure of the wrap to actually cover thesubject crops from the elements during presence in a field whileawaiting transport. In essence, such prior wrapping materials are proneto uneven stresses around a target bale. Coupled, for example, withtypical trailing and leading edge separation portions (nibs, forinstance, as discussed above), the lack of effective adhesive stresspoints (such as shear and peel strengths) may cause the wrap material todisengage from around the subject bale, again leading to significantdifficulties, particularly in the field. As such, there exists a need toovercome this drawback, but with a structure that may be manufactured insuch a manner as to provide a solution thereto, rather than an externalapplication subsequent to bale wrapping. So far, there have been nosuggestions as to improvements for this type of problem with the cropwrap material marketplace.

Another problematic issue, particularly associated with the prior foldedwraps noted above, is the need for a significant amount of unused wrapat the end of the entire roll. Such an excess portion is needed,typically, to provide sufficient back tension to open the folded web.Such an amount of extra material, however, has proven to contribute toundesired feed within the harvesting machine (as above, for example, forthe recoil situation) and/or provides an amount of unused wrappingmaterial that is simply discarded at the site (in the field). Such anamount is highly undesirable as it provides waste within the overallprocedure as well as the potential for the same machine entanglementthat requires significant time and resources to remedy in the field.Thus, there is a need to provide some type of manner of avoiding suchproblems.

Additionally, then, there exists a noticeable problem in terms of propernotification of machine activation for roll dispensing. Such aharvesting machine, as alluded to above, generally requires aclutch/brake activation scheme to ensure proper roll management of thewraps themselves. Without proper undertaking of such a procedure, theoverall application of wrapping material would be incredibly difficultas the continuous feed of wrap would occur, leaving no room for actualseparation of trailing and leading edges. Thus, in order to ensure theactivation of a clutch/brake mechanism, labels have been generated andapplied to specific locations on a trailing edge. Such labels,including, for instance, bar codes, QR codes, and the like, activate theclutch/brake once proper reading and notifying is provided to theharvester to allow for a set amount of time to stop the wrap cycle andallow for wrapping of the subject bale. These labels are typicallyapplied at a set distance from the trailing edge for proper wrapseparation (of folded wrapping materials, for instance) and sequentialcontact to adhere to the wrap material already in place on the roundbale. As of today, the placement of such a label at a distance thatactivates the clutch/brake at an “improper” location would preventproper adhesion, etc., from occurring. However, the ability to place alabel at any location on the trailing edge of a wrap material couldpermit greater control and effect without any need for unfolding orextension of certain wrap materials. Greater versatility would bewelcome, certainly, in respect to this issue within the baling industry.

For that matter, however, other types of materials utilized to wrapother solid objects exhibit similar deficiencies. The inventiondescribed herein is thus not limited to agricultural wrap materials, butany type of material utilized for typically wrapped solid objects.Unfortunately, as it concerns these noticeable deficiencies within theprior wrap material art, the needed improvements have yet to bedescribed, let alone provided to remedy such problems. The inventivebale wraps provided herein, however, accord the necessary improvementsto accomplish such effects.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An advantage of the present invention is the drastic reduction of thepropensity of such a wrapping material to exhibit recoil and/orundesired feed within a baling machine upon separation of a trailingedge from a leading edge. Another advantage is the ability to providegreater uniformity of such a finished wrap in terms of bale coveragewith significantly reduced capability of bale size distortion duringapplication and afterwards during storage and transport. Yet anotheradvantage of the present invention is the reduction in waste materialusage without losing back tensioning during utilization thereof suchthat substantially similar force is applied to the wrap when nearing itstotal unwound state from the base core. Still another advantage is theability to apply a control label at multiple locations at the trailingedge of such wrap material.

Accordingly, the present invention encompasses a roll of continuouswrapping material provided around a cylindrical core including aplurality of successive wrapping segments with a first wrapping segment,a series of middle wrapping segments, and a last wrapping segmentattached to said cylindrical core, said wrapping segments beingconnected to each successive segment through periodic separableconnections, wherein each of said wrapping segments has a leadingsection, a trailing section, and a body section therebetween, whereinsaid wrapping segment leading section extends from a leading edge tosaid body section, wherein said trailing section leads from said bodysection to a trailing edge, wherein said body section exhibits a widththat is wider than the width of said leading section at its leadingedge, wherein said configuration of said trailing edge is complementaryto said configuration of said leading edge, wherein said leading edge ofeach wrapping segment is adjoined to said trailing edge of a differentwrapping segment through said periodic separable connections other thanthe leading edge of said first wrapping segment and the trailing edge ofsaid last wrapping segment, and wherein each of said adjoined leadingand trailing edges are covered by an overlay including separableconnections aligned with said separable connections between said leadingand trailing edges. Also included herein is roll of wrapping segments asdescribed above, wherein said overlay is optional, and wherein said bodysection includes rigidifying additions present therein. Further includedwithin this invention is the wrapping material roll as described aboveincluding an indicator included within any location within said trailingsection thereof to create a signal to control activation of the rollingdevice itself, with said overlay and said rigidifying additions beingoptional components. Additionally, this wrapping material roll asdescribed above, and including any or all of the overlay and rigidifyingadditions noted above, wherein said last wrapping segment is attacheddirectly to said cylindrical core. The method of wrapping at least onesolid object (such as, without any limitation intended, an agriculturalbale, like cotton) within a wrap application device (such as, again,without any limitation intended, a harvesting device) with at least onewrapping segment of the inventive wrapping material rolls describedabove is also encompassed within this invention.

Such materials are typically provided as continuous webs of mesh, film,fabric, composite, and the like, with separable connections betweenadjoining wrapping segments (such as, without limitation, scoring,dotting, perforations, slits, etc.) introduced during manufacture. Aswell, any surface additions, including edge overlays,resiliency/rigidifying structures (longitudinal, crisscross, wave,circle patterns, etc.) are introduced during material manufacture aswell. Such overlays would include scoring, dotting, slitting,perforations, and the like, as described in greater detail below,subsequent to introduction to the web surface. The very end of aselected web distance (in order to wind onto a roll core, for instance)may be cut into a selected end shape of any geometry and provided withadhesive to attach to a core, as well. The terminal edge of the subjectwrap includes double-sided adhesive to releasably attach to the coreand, upon removal from such a core, the other side can then adhere tothe outer surface of the subject wrapped bale, as well. Such a core istypically a cardboard or plastic cylinder of a certain diameter in orderto allow unwinding of the wrap material at desired rates and distances.Lastly, the web material may be etched, dyed, or otherwise applied witha label during manufacture at selected locations at the trailing edge ofeach wrap segment to wrap around a subject bale (or like harvested croparticle).

The term “continuous roll” or “continuous web” used herein is intendedto mean a single piece of wrap material that has been provided withseparable connectors integrated therein to allow for separation ofsegments within such a single piece of material. “Separable connectors”or like descriptions are intended to mean, as noted above, integratedstructures within a single material piece that facilitate separation ofsegments through application of a pulling force on a leading segment andan opposing (not necessarily equal) force on the trailing segment. Suchconnectors may thus include, without limitation, scoring, dotting,slits, perforations, and the like. Such connectors are unique to suchwrap materials, particularly as they would include an overlay thatoverlaps with a trailing edge and an adjacent (until separation) leadingedge of connected wrap material segments. Such an overlay may be appliedon the top side or the bottom side (or both) of such a wrap material insuch a manner, as well, in order to accord, as described herein,resiliency to each of such trailing and leading edges after separation.The increased bulk provided to such edges prevents undesirable recoiland/or loose “flapping” or elongation of the edges upon separation, thuspreventing and/or drastically reducing the propensity for such looseedges to enter or otherwise entangle with the rolled bale or harvestingmachine components (particularly rubber dispenser rolls). Additionally,such a loose edge, even with an adhesive component applied thereto, issusceptible to folding over onto itself (leaving little to no exposedadhesive for actual connection and attachment with a bale), as well aspossible adhering to a separated wrap portion, or even to machinerycomponents. In any case, the need to ensure such leading and tailingedges are properly presented with reduced propensity for suchundesirable adhesion potentials has led to the realization that anoverlay covering such edges can overcome these deleterious effects.Thus, the utilization of a material, such as, without limitation, aone-sided adhesive “tape” (with the adhesive side applied on the top orbottom side of the web, or possibly both sides simultaneously), apolymer strip attached to such single or both sides, or any other likematerial for such a purpose (including staggered strips, dots, and thelike, that extend from the base wrap over any elongations created fromseparate of the connectors), accords such a beneficial result.Additionally, such overlay structures may be of natural or syntheticconstituents (or blends thereof, for that matter) and may be adhered,bonded, welded (such as sonically welded), or otherwise connected to thesubject wrap material. The separation of web component segments is thusallowed with the same degree and placement of scoring, dotting, slits,perforations, and the like, within the web structure, as well. Althoughany geometric shape may be utilized for such an inventive wrapconfiguration, in order to accord the most reliable leading edgeconfiguration, it was realized that a “chevron” shape would bepreferred, with a pointed structure utilized at the leading edge. Thetrailing edge thus exhibits a pointed inverse structure, allowing forsuch a chevron shape to be provided upon separation from a successivewrap segment. The overlay structure thus will be applied to overlap suchtrailing/leading edges in the same general configuration in use. If thepointed structure is in place, then, the overlay will take the sameshape and accord such a cover that has, included therein, the necessaryscoring, dotting, slits, perforations, etc., as desired for such wrapsegment separation purposes. The scoring, dotting, slits, perforations,etc., are thus preferably introduced linearly in relation to the desirededge shape (pointed structure, for instance) with any degree of coverageof the edge over the base material (preferably, though not necessarily,however, roughly half of the overlay covering the leading edge androughly half then covering the trailing edge could be utilized). Uponseparation of the wrap segments, then, the overlay remains over thecovered portion of the trailing edge and as well over the leading edgeof the next wrap segment (and thus preventing undesirable recoil,elongation, etc., in such a situation). Such an overlay may be of anytypical structure that is capable of adhering or otherwise attaching tosuch a base web material, and also allows for scoring, dotting, slits,perforations, etc., there through itself as well as the base webmaterial simultaneously during manufacture. Such overlay materials thusmay be selected from the group of paper, polymeric, or fibrous backedadhesive tapes or material suitable for thermal attachment to the wrapweb.

Additionally, or separately, the invention encompasses the utilizationof extra material within selected regions of the base web material inorder to accord resiliency to the overall structure thereof when wrappedaround a subject bale. As noted above, if such a web material exhibitsundesirable distortions or uneven tension over any portion of a subjectbale, the overall wrap may distort as well, leaving the bale susceptibleto uneven shaping or even uncovered portions. If the wrapped baleremains in a field for an indefinite time period prior to transport forprocessing, the lack of wrap coverage could be disastrous. As well, ifthe transport device cannot properly maneuver, lift, or otherwise movesuch a wrapped bale due to unevenness in overall shape, loss of productmay result as the lack of transport capability would force drasticmeasures or even a decision to leave such an uneven roll in the field.Thus, it was realized that such a wrapping material could be invigoratedto militate against such a potential deleterious result. The inclusionof an extra amount of material, either through an attached strip ofresilient polymer or other like article, or even through thickenedregions of polymeric material within the subject web, all within thebody of a wrap segment, has been found to provide such beneficialproperties. Such extra material may be present as longitudinally appliedstrips or thickened portions a certain distance from the longitudinaledges of a subject wrap material web (such as about 3 inches wide, about2-4 inches from the longitudinal edges of the web, as examples).Alternatively, as alluded to above, the extra material amounts may beprovided as geometric strip shapes throughout the web body,particularly, in one potentially preferred configuration, as crisscrosspatterns within the web material itself. In any event, such a geometricstrip (or thickened regions) within the material web accords resiliencywithin the overall wrap to retain a certain tension and thus shapearound a rolled bale. This extra material amount thus allows for greaterreliability to the user in that once applied, the even application ofsuch a roll material will be retained until transport is undertaken anddelivery made to a processing location. Such extra material may also besupplied with exposed adhesive components (whether in terms of strips,areas, and the like) present thereon at the surface. Such an adhesivematrix, similar to such materials described herein, would be present onthe wrap surface external to the subject bale in order to permit greaterreliability of dimensional stability of the wrap itself once appliedaround the subject bale with multiple revolutions. In other words, theadhesive provides discrete portions of the wrap body surface that accordfurther contact and attachment of the multiple wrap layers surroundingthe subject bale. In this manner, the wrap exhibits a reduced propensityfor both unwrapping after application, as well as less chance ofslippage of the wrapping material itself to ultimately keep the baleintact. Such an adhesive exhibits a suitable level of bonding strengthto apply to the wrap material around such a bale, but also at asufficiently low level to permit the supplied wrap prior to baleapplication to unwind from within the harvesting device easily andwithout undesirable retention therein.

Furthermore, as noted above, the waste material inherently presentwithin typical bale wraps in utilization today is a significant problem.Such waste material includes not only the core, but also an amount ofwrap material that is roughly the same width as that of a typical wrapitself and typically from twelve to fifteen feet in length. When a rollis exhausted, the core and waste material will typically be disposed ofat the field site itself. Unless the user then returns to pick up thewaste materials, these are typically left in the crop field,contributing to litter in such a manner. To remedy such a problematicissue, it was found that such a wrap material may be supplied with zerowaste, but with sufficient back tension to accommodate the necessaryactions and operations of the wrap material when maneuvered by theharvesting machine during use. Upon proper contact and adhesion to thecore, even with limited surface area supplied from the wrap material forsuch a purpose, suitable tension levels are supplied for proper andreliable utilization thereof to unwind the entirety of the finalavailable wrap to sufficiently wrap the subject round bale. Once thefinal trailing edge of wrap material is separated from the roll of wrapmaterial core, then all that remains is the wrap material core with aslight amount of adhering material on the surface of the core, allowinga user to simply remove the empty core and replace it with a full rollcore of wrap material for further utilization in the field. The emptyroll core may then be easily discarded without a loose polymericmaterial allowed to blow around (e.g., be subject to the elements) uponremoval from the harvesting machine. Thus, with this specific coreattachment in place, more efficient and cleaner operations are accorded.This beneficial addition may be undertaken individually or incombination with any or all of the other properties described herein forthe inventive wrap material. The adhesion of the wrap material to thecore can be accomplished by products such as hook and loop or adhesiveswith good release properties. Additionally, however, the end structureof the last wrap can actually be wound against itself around the corewithout the utilization of any adhering product and still unwind andproperly expose the tab adhesive on the trailing edge for application tothe wrap around the bale. Such non-adhered end structure may, however,include an adhesive matrix on the wrap surface that is not in contactwith the core. Such a matrix imparts resilient strength around the corewithout requiring any adhesive attachment between the wrap and the core.In this manner, the wrap material would be wound around the core withthe last one or more material levels including discrete areas or strips(or the like) of adhesive applied to ensure adhesion between such woundlevels of the wrap itself. This provides a certain bonding strength toprevent unwanted slippage of the wrap material from around the corewhile still exhibiting a suitable low level of adhesion such thatunwrapping does not require inordinately high pulling forces from theharvesting device during utilization. Such alternative end structuresfor bale wrapping materials have been unexplored in the past.

Additionally, with the need to ensure that the subject wrap applicationdevice (e.g., a harvesting machine) properly allows for stoppage of theunwinding of the wrap material during operation, specifically in orderto ensure sufficient tension is supplied to the wrap to separate thetrailing and leading edges of adjacent segments, a stop action (e.g., aclutch/brake mechanism) or separation component, is used. To notify themachine of such an instance, as noted previously, the wrap includes alabel with appropriate indicators present thereon for a reader embeddedor otherwise associated with the harvester to scan and read for such adesired action to commence. The typical wraps in use today are limitedto a very specific location for the placement of such labels in order toactivate the clutch/brake at a specific time during wrapping. Inessence, due to the prior art of folded web structures in place, acertain amount of time and rate of movement is needed to allow thefolded configuration to open as well as the adhesively connectedseparate materials to come apart. Any farther from the trailing edge(which is provided, in every instance, as a straight line across thewidth of the wrap material) and the label would indicate movement toosoon, thus leading to improper opening and application of the overallwrap. If the label is too close to the trailing edge, then, the devicemay operate the clutch/brake too late, leading to improper unwinding andapplication of the wrap around a selected bale (including highlyundesirable and wasteful double wrapping). Thus, the current wraparticles require specific distances for the indications to be read andacted upon. Any deviation will be troublesome.

The present invention, to the contrary, allows for placement of a labelfor such a purpose at a range of distances on the web material proximalto the trailing edge. Thus, label placement anywhere from 1/16^(th) ofan inch to 30 inches from the further point of the trailing edge may beemployed as a potentially preferred embodiment for such a purpose.However, the actual placement may be any location within the subjectwrap segment dependent upon a number of factors, including, withoutlimitation, the separation mechanism, the clutch/brake mechanism, and/orthe roll mechanism, as well as the actual objects to which such amaterial is being applied. Upon activation, the clutch/brake canappropriately operate to maximize efficiency in relation to neededtension for separation to occur, as well as to ensure that undesirablepossible entanglements between the wrap material and the harvestermachine are avoided. Such labels may thus be printed, applied (as asticker, for instance), painted, etc., to the wrap material surfacewithin the range of distances noted above. This versatility allows forcontrol of the clutch operation of a harvester to achieve total wrapleading and trailing edge separation and avoid double wrapping, as well.

Of further development in this area, it was realized that with pointedstructure (e.g., chevron) configurations for the wrap segmentsthemselves, the potential for trailing edge portions to tear duringseparation from a leading edge, particularly at the thinning endsthereof, may create a number of problems. These would include many ofthe same indicated above, such as the lack of resilient adhesiveportions on such a pointed structure trailing edge to properly attach toa wrapped bale. If such a trailing edge exhibits a significant reductionin peel or shear strength at the wrap/bale interface, the entire wrapmay unwind therefrom, leading to catastrophic results in the field.Additionally, any tears of this type may leave extended wrap materialthat may become entangled within the harvester machinery, or, at least,may cause the undesirable recoil therein, as described above. In anyevent, the ability to reduce the propensity for such trailing edgeportion damage during separation may be overcome through provision ofeasier-to-separate attachments within the pointed structure trailingedges of such wrap segments. In essence, such structures may be providedwith fewer and greater spaced slits, perforations, etc., in theseregions to facilitate such separation with lower amounts of force neededfor such a purpose. In this manner, such separation is achieved in amore reliable manner for these specific trailing edge locations, leavingthe pointed structures intact, with a far lower propensity for tearpotential and thus entanglement (or other like problem) duringoperation. Such is described in greater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art wrapping material during theunwinding phase of a roll of wrapping material.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same prior art wrapping material ofFIG. 1 subsequent to a separation between the connected materials.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art wrapping material during theunwinding phase of a roll of wrapping material showing a recoil event.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inventive wrapping material withoverlay present on the edges thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wrapping material of FIG. 4 showingseparation of the overlay present during separation of two wrappingmaterial portions.

FIG. 6 is an aerial view of an inventive wrapping segment withrigidifying portions present longitudinally within the body sectiontherein.

FIG. 7A is a side perspective view of an inventive wrapping materialshowing separable connectors between adjacent sections.

FIG. 7B is a side perspective view of an inventive wrapping materialshowing rigidifying portions present separately within the body sectionnear a leading edge of one segment, and an adjacent segment afterseparation.

FIG. 8A is a side perspective view of an inventive wrapping materialshowing separable connectors between adjacent sections prior to segmentseparation initiated at the wrap.

FIG. 8B is a side perspective view of the an inventive wrapping materialshowing rigidifying portions present separately within the body sectionnear a leading edge of one segment, and an adjacent segment aftercomplete separation of the wrapping material segments with the leadingsegment still moving forward and the trailing segment stopped.

FIG. 9 is an aerial view of an inventive wrapping segment showing avariety of possible rigidifying surface additions within the bodysection thereof.

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of a roll core to which a finalsegment attached to a final trailing edge of wrapping material has beenadhered.

FIG. 10A shows the separation of the final segment from the core of FIG.10.

FIG. 10B is a side perspective view of a roll core to which a finalsegment wrapped around the core

FIG. 10C shows the unwrapping of the final segment from the core of FIG.10B.

FIG. 10D is a cross-sectional view of the core and wrap material of FIG.10 showing the initial winding of the wrap onto the core.

FIG. 10E shows a cross-sectional view of the core and wrap of FIG. 10Dwith the continued winding of the wrap onto the core.

FIG. 10F is a cross-sectional view of the core and wrap of FIG. 10Dshowing the initial unwinding of the wrap from the core.

FIG. 10G shows the cross-sectional view of the core and wrap of FIG. 10Fand the complete separation of the wrap from the core.

FIG. 11 is an aerial view of an unwound wrapping material showing anotification label positioned at various locations thereon (asalternatives).

FIG. 12 is an aerial view of a trailing and leading edge of connectedwrap materials prior to separation and including weakened connectionswithin the pointed structures of the trailing ends thereof.

FIG. 13 shows a side perspective view of a wrapped bale including thewrap material of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THEINVENTION

The following descriptions and explanations of the accompanying figuresare intended specifically to provide information pertaining to possibleembodiments of the present invention. No limitation of the breadth andscope of the overall invention is to be construed by the disclosuresprovided herein.

With reference now to the Drawings, a wrapping material according to thepresent invention is illustrated. Such wrapping materials are providedin an elongated, continuous sheet form in separable wrapping segmentsstored consecutively on a reel or a core. Such a wrapping material, asdescribed above, may be utilized for use in wrapping of solid objects,here, in particular, for the potentially preferred embodiments describedherein, agricultural products, such as cotton, and may be composed ofone or more of a variety of materials including, without limitation,polyolefin films, polyolefin nettings, mesh, and woven or fibrousmaterials, The width of such a wrapping material should be sufficient tocover the width of the subject bale or other item being wrappedincluding overlapping and sealing ends that are thick enough towithstand the handling and elements of nature if left in an agriculturalfield for a period of time surrounding a subject bale. Generally, thethickness of a potentially preferred agricultural wrapping materialsubstrate is from about 40 to about 120 microns and the length of awrapping segment is from about 15 to about 25 meters, depending upon theharvested material. It would be well understood by the ordinarilyskilled artisan that such an inventive wrap is scalable to any desiredsize for different types of wrapped materials. For the baling process,sufficient wrapping material is contained on a supply reel or core toyield a field supply roll of sufficient wrapping segments for harvestinga multiplicity of round bales. The amount of wrapping material on thesupply roll would be limited to the capacity of the harvesting machinein terms of the storage and technological capabilities of saidharvesting machine. With that basic background provided, the inventionmay be better understood with the following descriptions andexplanations, particularly as the inventive wrap and method ofutilization thereof accords significant improvements over the state ofthe art now employed in the field.

For reference purposes, FIGS. 1-3 provide a view of a prior art balewrap 3 rolled on a core 1. The wrap 3 has multiple segments 7, 9 eachseparated by a scored line 10 (such as by slits, perforations, and thelike, as described above). As the wrap 3 moves around the core indirection D the segments 7, 9 move likewise in direction Y. Within aharvester (not illustrated) the core wrap segment 7 is stopped and theleading segment 9 is pulled away, causing separation between the twosegments 7, 9 with a leading edge 14 on the core segment 7 and atrailing edge 12 on the leading segment 9. This loose leading edge 14,as shown in FIG. 3, may allow for the formation of elongate or fibrouspieces of wrap material which can become co-mingled with the substancebeing wrapped. The loose leading edge may also be twisted or undesirablyallowed to flap thereafter, which may lead to capture within theharvester machinery (not illustrated).

Such a deleterious effect may thus be remedied with an overlay as shownin FIGS. 4 and 5. The wrap 103 is present, again, on a core 101, withmultiple segments 107, 109 separated by a scored line 114. A trailingsection segment 107 has a leading edge covered by an overlay 111 and aleading section segment 109 that has a trailing edge covered by anadjacent overlay 113. The entire overlay 112 is applied as a singlestructure scored (perforated, etc.) with the aforementioned scored line114 therein at any location. The scored (perforated, etc.) line 114 thusactually provides a line of demarcation not only within the entireoverlay 112 but also between the edges of the leading and trailingsection segments 107, 109 that permits separation thereof. Also presentis an underside adhesive layer 119 to allow for adherence to a bale wrapof the leading section segment 109. The trailing end 117 of the leadingsection segment 109 includes a releasable substrate (such as a liner)115 that protects the adhesive layer 119 during the unwinding phase andmay also provide extra structure to the trailing end 117 upon separationfrom the trailing section segment 107. As above, then, upon movement ofthe wrap 103 around the core 101 in direction D, and subsequentlystoppage X of the trailing section segment 107, the leading sectionsegment 109 follows in direction Y and the entire overlay 112 andleading and trailing edges covered thereby of the two segments 107, 109are then separated, as shown in FIG. 5. This leaves the remainingleading edge overlay portion 111 on the trailing section segment 107 andthe remaining trailing edge overlay portion 113 of the leading sectionsegment 109, imparting greater rigidity and/or structure to the trailingsection segment 107 edge, thereby preventing formation of elongate orfibrous pieces of wrap material, or twisting or other possibleentanglement with harvester machinery (not illustrated). The entireoverlay 112 may be applied to the opposite side of the subject wrapmaterial instead, as an alternative; the adhesive and releasablesubstrate may also be alternatively applied to the opposing materialside, too. Likewise, it should be understood that the roll direction Dmay be in either configuration allowing for the wrap material to gounder or over (here, under is shown) the roll.

FIG. 6 provides an aerial view of an individual wrap segment 200 havinga leading section 204 and a trailing section 202. As noted above, thereare distinct potential problems with wrap materials that are askew on abale or, alternatively, are susceptible to expansion or other distortionafter application around a bale. To combat such an issue, resilientlongitudinal strips 206 are integrated within or applied on the surfaceof the wrap segment 200 within the body thereof to accord greaterdimensional stability during and after wrapping is completed. Suchstrips 206 are shown here as two parallel structures, although there maymultiple structures, if desired, with staggered lengths within the bodyof the segment 200. Other geometric configurations may be utilized aswell for such dimensional stability purposes within the body of thesegment 200, if desired. Such strips 206 may also be provided withadhesives thereon or therein with a complementarily configuredreleasable substrate 207 placed there over that provides protection ofthe adhesive during an unwinding phase and, upon automatic removal ofthe releasable substrate during unwinding, adhesive access to impartfurther slippage reduction characteristics of the subject wrap materialwhen present around a wrapped bale (such as in FIG. 14).

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the utilization of rigidifying portions 322at a location near separable connectors 310 (such as scoring,perforations, etc.) between section segments 307, 309 in order to reducethe propensity for undesirable movement of such an edge 310 afterseparation of the section segments 307, 309. Such a configuration isdistinctly different from any placement of dampening strips, forinstance, within the pointed area of the leading end of such a segment307. In this fashion, the rigidifying portions 322, which may be appliedas overlays or extra material within their specific regions, situatedbehind the pointed edge 310 thereof, accords a certain degree of controland resiliency without having to introduce such structures closer to theedge 310. In this manner, then, the wrap 303, present on a core 301, mayinclude the simpler scored line 310 between a trailing segment 307 and aleading segment 309 with reduced propensity for twisting or flappingthereof upon separation (as shown in FIG. 7B) with the wrap 303unwinding in direction D (as above, such a direction may be the oppositeof that shown and over, rather than under, the wrap present on the core)and brake stop X (with the roll direction D, stopped as well as in FIG.7B) applied to allow for the leading section segment 309 to detach whilethe leading section segment 309 moves in direction Y, leaving a trailingedge 313 thereof and a leading edge 311 of the trailing section segment307 that remains dimensionally stable for further operation.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show a wrap material structure 353 with the separationbetween leading and trailing section segments 357, 359 accomplishedthrough unwinding in direction D and movement of the materials indirection Y and including a sufficient stress differential accorded thewrap material 353 in relation to the retention of the trailing sectionsegment 357 on the core 351 and the unwound leading section segment 359.In essence, the separable connectors 360 allow for lower stressdifferentials to permit such separation, ostensibly resulting in suchseparation once the leading section segment 359 is free from the wrap353 around the core 351 in its entirety, thus facilitating suchseparation without any need for brake stopping (as for D and X in FIG.7B, for instance) of the harvesting device (not illustrated) duringoperation. As the wrap 353 unwinds in direction D, the leading segment359 moves in direction Y and continues as the connectors 360 beginseparating (FIG. 8A) leaving, in FIG. 8B, a trailing edge 363 and aleading edge 361 in the segments 357, 359. Only when the leading segment359 is clear of the roll 353, and the rigidifying portions 372 impartresiliency to the leading edge 361 of the trailing segment 357, thetrailing segment 357 can be stopped (D and X) without associatedflapping, twisting, or other like issues (FIG. 8B).

FIG. 9 thus illustrates a variety of possible configurations ofrigidifying portions 406 of a wrap segment 400. Such a specificconfiguration of such portions 406 is not intended to be required; thisFigure simply shows non-limiting possible configurations of rigidifyingportions 406 that may be utilized for such a purpose. In thisalternative, the leading end 404 and trailing end 402 are separated by acentral structure of strips 406 for such a purpose. The presence of sucha structure 406 within the body of the segment 400 accords dimensionalstability as provided by both the structures of FIGS. 6 and 7, above.Such structures 406 may also include strips or at least discreteapplications thereon at their surface of exposed adhesives (notillustrated) analogous to the releasable substrate shown in FIG. 6, forthe purpose of protecting the adhesive during unwinding, for example.Such adhesives would impart greater strength to the multi-wound subjectbale wrap, allowing for greater resistance to slippage of such woundmaterial as well as drastically reduced potential for peel and shearthereof, as well.

FIGS. 10 and 10A provide views of the novel utilization of a suitableadhesive at the end of an entire wrapping material roll 503 in order toallow for reliable attachment (in releasable fashion) to the subjectcore 501. As noted, the end wrap segment 503 includes juxtaposed regions505 that emulate, to a certain degree, the trailing edges (313 of FIG.7B, for example) of potentially preferred wrap segments (as discussedabove). Certainly, as noted, this configuration is not presented aslimiting to any degree, as any suitable geometric shape may be utilizedin this manner. Here, however, these ends 505 include adhesive releasetabs 515 (FIG. 10A) thereon that allow for attachment to adhesive areas507 on the core 501, allowing, ultimately, the ability to utilize theentirety of the wrap material on a provided roll (e.g., preventing anyneed for waste material to be generated). As well, the wrap 503 includesadhesive edges 511 opposite the adhesive release tabs 515. In FIG. 10A,the wrap material 503 is separated from the core 501, and the adhesiveedges 511 of the end portions 505 may thus be applied to a wrapped bale(such as in FIG. 13) in secure fashion, just as any other prior segmenttrailing edge including a release substrate 508 that protects theadhesive 511 as described previously. The core 501 thus retains adhesivelocations 507 thereon, as well.

FIGS. 10B and 10C provide views of the novel utilization of a suitableadhesive at the end of an entire wrapping material roll 553 in order toallow for reliable attachment (in releasable fashion) to the subjectcore 551. As noted, the end wrap segment 553 includes juxtaposed regions555 that emulate, to a certain degree, the trailing edges (313 of FIG.7B, for example) of potentially preferred wrap segments (as discussedabove). Certainly, as noted, this configuration is not presented aslimiting to any degree, as any suitable geometric shape may be utilizedin this manner. Here, however, these ends 555 include adhesive materials561 thereon and/or therein that allows for attachment to another area ofthe wrap 553 when wound around the core 551, thus being retained on thecore 551 through tension. This ultimately provides the ability toutilize the entirety of the wrap material on a roll, thereby preventingany need for waste material to be generated. In FIG. 10C, the wrapmaterial 553 is unwound from the core 551 and upon release of theadhesive from the release tabs 568 on the wrap material 553, the lastsegment of the wrap material unwinds completely from the core 551,leaving no wrap material or adhesive thereon.

FIG. 10D provides a cross-sectional view of one potentially preferredembodiment of the core 570 and the last segment of the wrap material 573as it is applied to the core 570. The core 570 turns in direction Dwhile the wrap 573 moves toward and around the core 570 in direction Y.On the trailing portion 575 of the wrap material 573 there is suppliedan adhesive 581 covered with a release liner 578 and a second exposedadhesive 580. In FIG. 10E, after further movement of the core 570 indirection D and the wrap material 573 in direction Y, the exposedadhesive 580 adheres to the wrap material 573 at its contacted surface584. The wrap 573 and core 570 then continue to wind until the entirewrap 573 is rolled thereon. Such adhesive composites including theadhesive 581, liner 578, and exposed adhesive 580 are providedthroughout the wrap material in intervals relative to the trailing edgesof each wrap segment. FIGS. 10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G show the lastsegments including these adhesive composites; it should be wellunderstood that such components are present throughout the entirety ofthe wrap material, with, for instance, the adhesive composites andadhesives 581, liners 578, and exposed adhesives 580 configured in anydesired shape and/or alignment thereon and/or therein (such as thepointed structures 115, 119 of FIG. 5, as one example). FIGS. 10F and10G thus show the resultant effect of such adhesive composites uponunwinding of the subject wrap material 573 from the core 570. Upon wrapmovement in direction Z and core rotation in direction E, the adhesive581 remains attached to the wrap material 573 near the trailing edge 575and the exposed adhesive 580 remains attached to the wrap material 573at its contact location 584. The release liner 578 releases from theadhesive 580 and remains in contact with the exposed adhesive 580,thereby resulting, as shown in FIG. 10G, in an exposed release liner 578on the top surface of the wrap material 573 (or bottom surface,depending on the perspective and/or need of the user) attached via theexposed adhesive 580 and the adhesive 581 exposed on the opposingsurface of the wrap material 573 adjacent the trailing edge 575, thusallowing for such adhesive 581 to contact and adhere to the wrapmaterial 573 already in place and surrounding a subject object (as inFIG. 13, for example) to secure the wrap material 573 in its entiretythereto. As well, these FIGS. 10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G show the tensionattachment of the wrap material 573 around the core 570 and the removaltherefrom without any waste wrap material generated that requiresdisposal.

As such, it is important to note that adhesive capability or tensionalone may be employed for the releasable attachment of the wrap materialto the core. Additionally, it is noted that either the core 551 or thetrailing edge of the last segment of the wrap material 553 may beprovided in a certain manner to increase grip or to provide otherattachment to one or the other for the purposes of providing reliableattachment between core and last wrap segment, if desired.

FIG. 11 provides further improvement as the utilization of an inventivewrap material as herein described. A label 605 is typically provided onwrap segments 601, 603 to facilitate activation of a clutch/brakemechanism (not illustrated) of a rolling device (not illustrated), suchas, for instance, as one non-limiting example, a harvesting device thatcollects and wraps a bale. Typically, as noted above, these labels areapplied at a specific location on such segments in order to ensureproper reading by a sensor 620 to activate the brake stop (notillustrated) (or, for other rolling devices, stop or separatingmechanisms, as needed), thereby allowing for separation of segments tooccur. In this FIG. 11, then a wrap roll 600 includes a label 605 thatmay be introduced at any location within the trailing edge region 610 ofa wrap segment 603. Such locations 607 thus allow for greaterversatility as well as potentially greater versatility overall for theoperation of the harvesting device to properly brake stop and allow fordefinitive separation of segments 601, 603, leaving a leading edge 611for a trailing segment 601 in addition to the trailing edge 610 of aleading segment 603. This ability for label placement selection isstarkly divergent from the prior art that typically utilizes a straight,perpendicular separation line between segments. Such a label 605 must besituated in one spot for activation purposes, basically, leaving theoverall wrap susceptible to less control by the harvester device tooperate appropriately. The configuration shown, as well as othergeometric shapes and arrangements, allows for such versatile labelpositioning, thus, again, according greater control potential and morereliable utilization thereof. As well, as noted previously, such a label605 may be supplied in any location of the subject wrap for such controlpurposes, dependent upon the subject objects to be wrapped and machineryutilized therefore and therewith. The label 605 may be of any indicatorthat provides an effective means to signal when a specific location of asubject wrap segment reaches a certain place within the rolling devicethat subsequently activates the device as needed (separation, braking,etc.). Thus, such an indicator may be any type of structure, addition,structural change, etc., that can provide a differential change for sucha signal purpose (read or detected by a suitable component on therolling device, for instance, include a color, light, laser, etc.,sensor, and the like). Indicators may thus be bar codes, QR codes,colors, opaque structures, transparent wrap areas, basically anythingthat accords such a beneficial signal result that is specific for thenecessary location within the wrap material for such a purpose.

FIG. 12 thus provides an aerial view of the interface of two segments701, 703 of a wrap material 700 with limited connections 707, 709therein that noticeably do not connect at the side edges of the wrap700. Such a disposition of connections 707, 709 best ensure effectiveseparation occurs of the two segments 701, 703. The leading edge 702 ofthe trailing segment 701 and the trailing edge 705 of the leadingsegment 703 thus are more easily separated when sufficient, low force isapplied for such an action. This allows for greater reliability of thepointed structure ends of the trailing edge 705 of the leading segment703 to remain intact subsequent to separation, reducing the potentialfor tearing or other deleterious result within the materials of thetrailing edge 705, ultimately providing for greater reliability thatsuch pointed structure edges 705 will not become entangled within theharvesting device machinery (not illustrated). If desired, however, inorder to impart greater resiliency to the wrap material in total duringboth manufacturing and unwinding to reduce the potential for problematicfoldback, a nib connector (or other like structure) may be providedintact and exhibiting sufficient strength for such a purpose may besupplied proximate to the leading and tailing edges 711, 713, thereof.

FIG. 13 shows a multi-wound bale 800 including agricultural product 810(such as, as one non-limiting example, cotton) and the wrap material 820as provided in FIG. 5, above with the trailing edge 830 adhered to thewrap material 820. The other wrap materials of the inventive Figures,above, would be wound in like fashion and to similar effect for thewrapping of any desired solid object or objects.

Such improvements as outlined and described in greater detail aboveaccord a user for greater reliability in the field than standardwrapping materials now employed for such purposes. Whether there isprovided edge overlays, rigidifying structures, fully removable andusable wrapping materials from a subject core, a multi-positioned label,and/or carefully constructed perforations, etc., at edge interfaces ofseparable segments, these improvements all impart beneficial resultsthat have heretofore been unexplored and certainly been unattainable inthis industry.

The disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive. Several embodiments are described andillustrated and suggest that there are others within the scope of theinvention which meet particular requirements of an application which donot depart from the scope of the invention. The variety of adhesiveconfigurations are illustrative of alternative solutions to the securingof a wrapper on a bale or any other type of solid object or objects.These are matters of design choice prompted by the characteristics ofthe material and contents of the bale being covered and its ultimatephysical location. The scope of the invention is to be defined by theappended claims rather than the foregoing descriptions and otherembodiments which come into the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are therefore intended to be included within the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A roll of continuous wrapping material providedaround a cylindrical core including a plurality of successive wrappingsegments with a first wrapping segment, a series of middle wrappingsegments, and a last wrapping segment attached to the cylindrical core,the wrapping segments being connected to each successive segment throughperiodic separable connections, wherein each of the wrapping segmentshas a leading section, a trailing section, and a body sectiontherebetween, wherein the wrapping segment leading section extends froma leading edge to the body section, wherein the trailing section leadsfrom the body section to a trailing edge, wherein the body sectionexhibits a width that is wider than the width of the leading section atits leading edge, and wherein the wrapping segment body section includesrigidifying additions therein or thereon.
 2. The roll material of claim1, wherein the rigidifying additions include adhesive materials appliedthereto having a releasable substrate applied over the adhesivematerials.
 3. The roll material of claim 2, wherein the rigidifyingadditions comprise longitudinal areas of overlay materials.
 4. The rollmaterial of claim 1, wherein the rigidifying additions comprise overlaymaterials heat welded or sonically welded to the roll material.
 5. Theroll material of claim 1, wherein the rigidifying additions compriselongitudinal areas of overlay materials.
 6. The roll material of claim1, wherein the rigidifying additions comprise overlay materials formedof shapes chosen from the group circular and curvilinear.
 7. The rollmaterial of claim 1, wherein the rigidifying additions comprise overlaymaterials in the form of dots.
 8. The roll material of claim 1, whereinthe configuration of the trailing edge is complementary to theconfiguration of the leading edge, wherein the leading edge of eachwrapping segment is adjoined to the trailing edge of a differentwrapping segment through the periodic separable connections other thanthe leading edge of the first wrapping segment and the trailing edge ofthe last wrapping segment.
 9. A method of wrapping at least one solidobject within a wrap application device with a wrapping segment of theroll material of claim 1, wherein the roll material is placed andmaneuvered by the wrap application device for application around the atleast one solid object, and wherein the wrapping segment leading edgeapplies to the at least one solid object, the method including the stepsof: subsequent to application of the wrapping segment leading edge tothe at least one solid object, winding the wrapping segment leadingsection and the wrapping segment body section around the at least onesolid object, separating the wrapping segment trailing edge from theleading edge of the successive wrapping segment through detachment ofthe separable connections present there between, and applying thetrailing edge to the applied wrapping segment body section wound aroundthe at least one solid object.
 10. The method of claim 6 wherein the atleast one solid object is an agricultural bale.